Improvement in harvesters



THoM-As H. non@ E.

-Improvement in H-arvest'ers.

Patented Jan. 2, 1872.A

To all whom it may concern:

apparatus and the gearing to operate the same leans THOMAS H. DODGE, 0E WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPRovEMENT 1M HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,445,dated January 2, 1872.

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. DODGE, of the city and county of Worcester and Gommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Mowing and Reaping Machines; and I do hereby declareV the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the Same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a plan view of so much of a mowing-machine as is necessary to illustrate my present improvements. Fig. 2 represents a section n line A B, Fig. l; and Fig. 3 represents a rear view of the draft attachment, a portion of the tongue and frame being shown in section. i Y

To enable thosel skilled in the art to which my inventionbelongs to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe it more in detail.

My invention relates t0 certain improvements in draft attachments for mowing and reaping machines for which Letters Patent were granted to Silas E. and Morgan P. Jack-- son December 29, 1857, and to Alzirus Brown, L. G. Kniifen, and myself, on the 17th day of November, 1863; and consists in the combination, with the tongue and main frame, or the part of the machine to which the draft device is attached, and evener or whifiietree, of a draftrod, supporting-loop, and a peculiarly-con structed evener-or Whiifletree supporting device or iron, as hereafter described.

- In the drawing, the part marked A is the main frame; B B, the supporting-wheels upon the axle-O, to which the frame A is attached by bolts D D. The rear end of tongue E is secured to the' flanged tongue piece-or iron F, which is fitted to turn on axle O between the collars a a. The parts above described are similar to the corresponding parts in the machine patented yto said Brown, Kniffen and Dodge, above referred to; and the other parts of said patented machine, so far as the cutting may be used or employed; consequently no further description of such parts is necessary, as my invention relates to the draft attachment, which will now"be described.

The evener G is supported between the front lips b b of the draft or evener-supporting device H, and is free to swing or play in a horizontal position on its holding-bolt c, which passes through the lips b b, and is also free to swing or play in horizontal position with device H on the bolt h, Which passes through the rear lips e and f. A bridge piece, d, is interposed between the front lips b b and the rear lips cf. Thelatter lip extends back ofthe lip e, as fully shown in the drawing. Lip e is curved down for a short distance back of the bridge piece d, and then extends back to form the upper supportK to the front end of the draftrod I, which is provided with an eye, g, which is placed between the lips ef, and retained in place'by a bolt, h, which passes through the lips c j. The rear end of the draft-rod I is also provided with an eye, which is hooked onto a draft-hook, lo, fastened tothe front part of the frame of the machine. A long loop, J, is suspended from the under side of the tongue E, and through which the draft or evener-supporting device H is passed, as shown.

'It will be seen from the foregoing description that, while the draft is as free and direct from the frame to the evener as it would be if the evenerl was attached by a chain, when the team is stopped'or. backed the evener will not drop down or turn over, and thus tend to enltangle the feet of the team or to cause the team to be frightened, since the loop will support (as indicated in Fig. 3) the evener-supporting iron H when the tugs or traces are slackened, and that in turn will retain the evener in a horizontal position or nearly so, in

consequence of being held from turning by the action of the flattened side of the eye g on the rear lips e and f, the draft-rod itself being prevented from turning by the vertical draft-hook k, to which is attached the rear eye of the draftrod. By extending the rear lip f back, as shown in the drawing, the strain is transferred, in a great measure, to the under side of the draftrod back ofthe eye, when the parts are in the position indicated in Fi g. 3, consequently there is less liability of twisting the eye; While at the'same time the device H is supported and retained inA a more perfect manner. The part H can be made or cast in one piece, and, if malleable iron is used, it can be made quite light and yet strong. As soon as the team starts forward the draft attachment is raised from the bottom of the loop J, and so long as the team is in motion the draft is as free and direct from the point ot' attachment to the Inachine as though a simple chain attachment was used. I am thus enabled to obtain all of the advantages of a free under-draft, While at the same time avoid in g man y objections often urged to other under-draft attachments, especially those resulting from drawing down of the tongue and tipping or turning of the evener or whillletree. rlhe attachment can be applied with good effect to all or nearly all mowing or reaping machines, especially those having tilting-frames77 or floating finger-beams. When shaft-s are used and the machine drawn by a single horse the Whiftletree will take the place of the evener.

Having described myimprovements in mowing and reaping machines, What I claim therein as new and of my invention, and desire to 7 and described.

THOS. H. DODGE.

Witnesses:

A. E. PEIRCE, CHAs. H. BURLEIGH. (74) 

